Sydney's Bondi Beach serves as training spot for elite climbers

A climber ascends the rope at Bondi Beach on April 2, in Sydney, Australia. A group of local Sydney men, including a number of World Record holders, meet three times a week to scale a five-metre rope bare handed. Editor's note: Pictures were converted to black and white and were received Aug. 27.

According to The Telegraph, Marcus Bottay, pictured below, holds the Guinness World Record for the five-meter rope climb in which competitors climb up and down the rope as many times as possible. He apparently shattered the old record of 19.2 metres by climbing 27.8 metres in 60 seconds.

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Climber Marcus Bottay warms up before climbing the rope at Bondi Beach on Aug. 20, in Sydney, Australia.

Ryan Pierse / Getty Images

A climber ascends the rope at Bondi Beach on Aug. 20, in Sydney, Australia.